SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TREATING PRODUCED WATER HAVING A FLASH VAPORIZATION SYSTEM FOR REMOVING DISSOLVED GASES FROM PRODUCED WATER

摘要

An oil recovery process includes recovering an oil-water mixture from an oil-bearing formation and separating the produced water from the oil-water mixture. The produced water includes dissolved gases and the method includes heating and pressurizing the produced water. After the produced water is heated and pressurized, it is flash vaporized through a lesser pressure which produces a vapor and residual produced water. The flash vaporization of the produced water evaporates dissolved gases and the dissolved gases are vented away with the vapor.

主权项

1. A method of recovering oil from an oil well comprising:
a. removing an oil-water mixture from the well; b. separating oil from the oil-water mixture to produce oil and produced water having dissolved gases; c. directing the produced water into a deaerator; d. after directing the produced water into the deaerator, directing the produced water to an evaporator and evaporating at least a portion of the produced water and producing a concentrated brine and steam; e. condensing the steam to form a distillate; f. directing the distillate to a steam generator and heating the distillate in the steam generator to produce steam; g. injecting the steam into an injection well; h. increasing or maintaining the temperature of the produced water upstream of the deaerator such that the temperature of the produced water upstream of the deaerator exceeds the saturation temperature of the produced water in the deaerator; and i. flashing a portion of the produced water in the deaerator to remove dissolved gases from the produced water.